Moonlight Sonata
by InfiniteSnow
Summary: Co-Author: animewriter808p. AU: Ikuto - physically abused by his mother and sister and was sexually abused by his step-father on a daily basis. Wants to be a violinist and is reserved and cold. Amu - abused by her family/friends; mentally and physically, and wants to be a flute player and an artist. When these two meet, will their scars heal? [Ikuto/Amu, Amuto, IkuAmu, AmuIkuto]
1. We Meet

[Amu's POV]

It was a cold November night. I, only just a mere fifteen year old, was rudely pushed out of her house, by her own parents. With just a thin lab coat and my scrubs and a thin pair of worn out sneakers, I shivered in the cold as my mother and father glared at me.

"Take your stupid Humpty Lock and your stupid flute, and go to work. Do not disappoint us more than you have already! Do not show your face at our doorstop unless Dr. Amakawa is happy with your work, which probably won't happen with a pathetic person like you!" mother slammed the door at me.

Before she slammed the door in my face, I caught my sister glaring at me, and shouting along the lines of, "I hate you, onee-chan! Go die!"

My heart shattered.

My body wracked with pain as I weakly made my way to the hospital three miles away from our house. I am expected to be a doctor when I want to be an artist and a flute player. They don't want me to be happy, and decided the only person in our family household who deserves to have a musical career is my sister Ami, who wants to be like Hoshina Utau, a stupid stuck-up singer.

I opened the doors to the Hospital, and wearily signed in at the front desk.

I waited in the waiting room until a cheery voice called out.

"Where is my lovely assistant who wants to become a famous painter and flute player?"

The next thing I knew, Dr. Amakawa was enveloping me in a huge bear hug. The only reason I try to live is because of him. He promised me that once I turn 18, he will file a lawsuit against my parents and take me in as a daughter until the 'very sad' day comes and I leave the nest to be with a potential groom. I thought he was funny, but he was serious when he said he wants to get me out of the hell hole I am in right now.

"She is right here, being smothered to death in your hug," I murmured, muffled by his tight hug.

He comically gasped and let me go, letting me breathe the vital oxygen I needed.

"Oopsies!" he laughed and I chuckled along with him. He makes my day, every day.

"Well I have a huge assignment for you," he said, becoming grim.

"What?" I asked.

"In this file is a list of people who needs to be nursed back to health. Every person on the list is scarred in some way: mentally brainwashed, physically abused, and some are used as toys."

I shivered at the last word. He didn't mean toys that people were for others to physically abuse, he meant toys to get out sexual frustration. Yes that is the only way he would use 'toys' in context of abused people.

I nodded and opened the file and read the contents.

_**Patient #1 – **__An eighteen year old girl who was mentally brainwashed by her fiancé that she is meant to kill herself by suicide. She is suicidal, and has suffered multiple beatings from her fiancé._

_**Patient #2 **__ - A five year old boy who was mentally brainwashed by his parents that he is a murderer. Blamed for his sister's death. Has thoughts of going to hell, as he puts it: "The place that he deserves to end up in."_

_**Patient #3 **__– A forty year old man who had killed his children due to the loss of his wife._

_**Patient #4 **__– A sixty year old lady who believes the world will end in seven years._

_**Patient #5 **__– A seventy year old man who had suffered abuse from the nursing home his family had put him in. The family said that they kicked him out because he keeps murmuring about how spirits are real._

_**Patient #6 **__– A twenty year old man, who plays the violin and is extremely skilled. Quiet, heavily guarded, and reserved. His sister had physically abused him, his mother had mentally brainwashed him that he was the cause of his biological father's death, and his stepfather used him as a toy._

I shivered at the last one. This man, whoever he might be, suffered three things at once. I decided. I want to help this person.

I point at the last option to Amakawa-san and his eyes widen.

"Don't choose him. Please, I will give you a high pay for another patient. How about doing Patient #2?" He frantically pointed at the description of the five year old boy.

I shook my head and said, "I do not want a pay. This man had suffered the worst of all the six and I want to help him heal. Please, _father_?"

That magic word made him melt, as he is determined to be my legal father when I become eighteen in three years. He sighed and nodded. He called another assistant and had me signed up to take care of this guy I chose.

He nodded for me to follow him, and I asked him, out of curiosity, "So what is his name?"

"Ikuto Tsukiyomi. He went out to find his father, and when he did, Hoshina Kazuomi secretly killed him and put the blame of Aruto's death on Ikuto. His mother became depressed and would beat her own son up for the murder, and his sister abused him physically as well because she thought he was a good person inside but then she got mixed up and now envisions of her brother as a selfish serial killer who does anything for his benefit. And to top off this torture, he was being sexually abused by his step father Kazuomi on a daily basis. His mother and sister didn't care," Amakawa san looked at the floor sadly.

We reached the elevator and pressed the 'up' button.

My eyes widened in shock. Hoshina?

"Hoshina? As it _Hoshina Utau_?" I asked. Sure the girl is snobby but I didn't know she is an abusive person who beats up her own brother.

"Yes," Amakawa san looked at me sadly, "when Ikuto tried to explain to his sister the real truth, she would have none of it. It was hard to prove to her why Ikuto was drenched in his father's blood, when he had no knife in his hand. For all we know, he could've hid it."

"Do you have faith in him?" I asked.

"I do," he sadly nodded, "but my faith alone isn't enough to end his torture. At last when his family got sick of him, they kicked him out of their house. And he was moved to this mental hospital where you happen to work at. He had no other place to go to, you know."

I was stunned. Breaking the silence that followed, I said, "I understand that kind of pain."

"How so?" he nodded. I knew he knew, but he just wanted me to say it, so I feel better.

"I am on the verge of being kicked out of my own house. I am getting blamed for things I didn't do. I am getting abused by my own sister. I understand that, but to be used as a toy, that is terrible," I shook my head.

_Ding!_

The doors opened, and we stepped out of the doors.

"You and him really suffered on a parallel basis," he casted a knowing glance at me.

I raised an eyebrow at him, "Huh?" I was so nervous that I tucked my Humpty Lock underneath my collar, and re-adjusted my flute case which was slung around my shoulders with a huge strap.

"You know what I mean," he shook his head.

I sighed. I really didn't know, but I will find out.

He stopped abruptly, and said, "We're here."

Our mental hospital rooms for the patients look like actual bedrooms with bathroom and a mini kitchen to make them feel like they are in a home. Also they can ask for personal customization of the room to make them feel better and heal faster.

Amakawa san opened the door, and I stepped in.

"Ikuto…" Amakawa san called, and the bundled figure in bed, rose up immediately and looked at Amakawa san with a look of anger and looked at me with loathing and hatred.

I whimpered. What if he was like the rest? Quickly I hid behind Amakawa san.

"Now, now, Amu. Don't worry. He won't hurt you like the rest. Ikuto, here is the girl who decided to help you with your condition. She understands your pain, and isn't like the rest. She wants to help you and promised to not force anything on you," Amakawa san smiled.

He just glared at me more and I felt really scared.

Amakawa san smiled and said, "I will come back later, to see how you are doing, all right, Amu-chan?"

I meekly nodded, and he left. When he did, I feebly put down my flute case near a corner, and I stuffed my humpty lock deep inside the case, but didn't move. I won't move unless he tells me to do so.

"I don't want your pity."

My heart stops. He thinks I pity him?

"I don't want your pity, at how pathetic I am. We all know that once I open up, which will never happen, you will just use me and throw me to a corner once I become useless in your eyes," a voice breathed into my ear.

My breath hitched. He must have cat-like grace to jump across the room in such a little time.

I let my eyes meet his. His sapphire eyes were filled of loathing, anger, sorrow, sadness, helplessness, and most of all: fury.

I shivered, but managed to say, "Please! I'm not-"

A hand collided with my cheek hard, and another hand roughly shoved me by the chest, to the ground. I painfully hit the ground, and my previous wounds by my parents and sisters and so-called 'friends' at school, opened.

I was starting to bleed.

Little thin ribbons started to spill from me, but he didn't notice. Then a painful kick collided with my stomach, but I didn't make a sound. I just thought of this pain as steps to get closer to heaven, where angels in white gowns will hug me and be happy that I am in their presence.

"You shut up, bitch! You are probably like those other sluts sent here to take care of me! They just have lust and love for looks only. Once they get what they want from me, they will just roll me to the side and leave! You are no different!" he yelled, and sent painful blows to my arms, legs, all over my body.

Pain flashed throughout me, to the point that despite my high tolerance power, it hurt. I let out a tiny cry of pain. The ribbons of blood became thicker and his eyes widened.

I looked at him with sad eyes. His eyes narrowed again and he slapped me across the cheek and I writhed in pain against his harsh touch. Every one of his touches sent electricity against me and I felt more and more and more of his pain. I now understood why he won't open up. He thought that if he opens up easily, I would use him. It is natural to think that every new person that tries to approach him, to fling them away, considering all the pain he went through.

"Don't look at me with _those eyes!" _he yelled.

My eyes filled with tears, and the trails of blood coming from my back became thicker and blood seeped through my wounds on my hands and legs. An ugly gash on my stomach where mother had cut harshly with a knife, was split open and spilling crimson liquid like crazy.

I was writhing in pain, but I didn't hate him. He lost the power to stand on his feet, and he had collapsed onto the ground. His eyes were widened when he saw that I bled easily.

I smiled at him, and he shook in fear, like I would raise a whip on him. He scoots back, but I held a hand out and whispered, "It's okay. I won't hurt you, ever. Pinky promise?" I added a little bit of humor, despite the wracking pain I was in. I felt like my whole body was being stabbed by a thousand knives.

Yet, I felt happy. I want him to be happy.

I felt a twinge of disappointment when he looked at my hand skeptically for a few minutes. Sadly, I let several tears slip as I cried out in pain to draw my hand back, which was throbbing in pain.

But two large and warm hands covered mine, and I looked up to see Ikuto take my thin hand in both of his. Gently, to not hurt me, he shifted my head onto his lap, and he still held onto my hand, my right one, and he massaged it, and I felt a tiny wave of pain, and I gasped out. Tears dripped down my cheeks continuously, but I smiled.

"So warm…" I mumbled, and he froze. I brought my hand to my eyes, and saw that his hands were very thin, but not emaciated, just like mine.

I un-wrapped one from my hand, and kissed the palm and brought it to my cheek, sighing in happiness how nice his hand felt on my face. He stroked it, and used a thumb to gently wipe away my tears which were mixed from my fresh blood from the scars on my face.

I wanted this, I wanted it my whole life. I wanted someone to stroke my face lovingly and someone to hug me and kiss me and warmly smile at me, and have curfews for me and to always want me to be there, with them. But my parents hate me because of my quiet and reserved personality and bizarre looks. My sister hates me because my flute and artistic talents could get in her career for becoming a singer. My friends thought I was a cutter, so they just bullied me and physically hurt me and shunned me. No one loved me anywhere I went.

I only held on because Amakawa san felt sorry for me and he wanted to become my legal guardian when I become 18, and because of my Humpty Lock, which was mysteriously entitled to me with a note saying that I am the original owner of the Humpty Lock and that the person who holds the Dumpty Key will be the one to be my husband. Written in stars it sounds like, but the note promised me, that the person who holds the key to my lock will be the person I will deeply fall in love with.

My eyes watered and I whispered, "Thank you, thank you so much…"

He started to panic and called my name in a panic. But my world became black.

And I swam in a sea of darkness.

oooooo

I opened my eyes, and found out I was in the same room, but was lying on a plush futon, on the floor. It was much better than sleeping on the floor in the dusty and hot attic at home.

"Amu-chan?!" a panicked voice came.

"Amakawa san?" I murmured, shifting my head to look at him, but hissed when pain shot through me.

"Do you want to switch patients?" he asked with a hopeful face.

I looked at Ikuto, who was to my right. He looked at me with sad eyes and he hugged his knees to his chest like he was going to be beaten. I shook my head. He needs me. I need to take care of him, because I feel that if he is suffering the similar pain I am, then it would make sense to take care of him.

"Are you out of mind? You are in a critical condition, yet you want to still take care of him! As if your parents, sister, and friends' beatings were nothing!" Amakawa san became angry.

Ikuto's head shot up in alarm, and I down casted my eyes. I don't want to worry him.

"Amakawa-san, do know I said I do not want to be paid. I want to do this, not just for a matter of money. Even if I do not get paid, I will still take care of him," I gave him a firm look.

He sighed, but nodded.

"If your physical condition gets worse, I am switching your partner. Your parents just called me and said they are going on a one month cruise with your sister. Do you want to stay with me at my house?" he casted a hopeful look at me.

"What about school?" I became scared of 'school'.

"After their stupid one month cruise, I am going to take them to court. I am not going to wait to be your legal guardian and I will home school you, by calling in tutors to educate you in all the required courses by the state. I want to make sure that you can study whatever you want, and go to any university you want to go to," he looked at me with a firm set of eyes.

I sighed and nodded and said, "So be it. But I will tell you my choice in the morning."

He nodded and kissed my forehead. He said, "I brought you your suitcase containing whatever you had in your room in the attic. It is everything you own, and I assume you have your flute with you, right?"

I nodded and pointed at the corner. He then picked up my suitcase and put it there. He smiled at me and said, "Sweet dreams."

I smiled, wincing at the cuts on my face.

He gently shut the door behind him, and I fell quiet. I turned my head the other way, despite the pain. I don't have enough strength to move, but I reached out and tugged on his leg and he looked at me with alarmed eyes.

I whispered, and said, "I'm scared of the dark."

His eyes softened, and I thought he would laugh at me for my childish nature I still retain after all these years. Who would be scared of the dark by now?

He sat Indian-style, and whispered, "Its okay. I won't leave you."

I felt so happy, so relieved that someone would understand me.

Tears slipped down my cheeks again and he caressed my cheeks, which felt so right, so comfortable, in his arms.

Everyone told me that I am a sign of bad luck, and I am as useless as black cats, which are considered by my ex-friends and family, misfortune.

They are oblivious to the fact that in other places, black cats are signs of fortune, prosperity and a symbolism of good luck.

He cringed when I cried and he whispered, "I'm sorry."

I sent him a surprised stare and asked, "For what?"

"For grouping you with the rest of them. I'm sorry. I thought at first glance that you were like the rest of my previous caretakers, and I jumped to conclusions," he looked at me with a pair of guilty eyes.

I smiled at him, and he widened his eyes in shock.

"Why don't you hate me?" he whispered, eyes filled of awe.

"Because I have no reason to hate you. I understand your pain, like I said," I smiled at him.

"How?" he asked.

"Time will answer your question, Ikuto. Be patient," I told him.

He looked very impatient, but decided to wait. He nodded, and kept smoothing the hairs on my head back, wincing when he saw the cuts on my face.

But I'm happy. No one can hurt me. Harm cannot reach me.

This was the fruit of all of my struggles. I knew a day like this would come.

Happily content, I closed my eyes. I was tired. Tired from all the beatings that started when I was seven, the day Ami was born. I was neglected then abused, and I need rest.

I somehow hope, from the back of my mind, that when I open my eyes the next morning, this nightmare will be gone, and I will act as if this nightmare of eight years had never happened. The last thing I registered was a thin, long hand lovingly stroking my head and caressing my cheeks.

I felt complete now. I am not afraid.


	2. Painful Memories

oooooo

[Amu's POV]

Bright sunshine came from the window in Ikuto's room. Somehow, I have to say he is one of the few patients that get a corner room, because he has windows.

My whole body felt like lead. I felt terrible, but kind of felt better than yesterday. Peeling myself from the futon, I see that Amakawa san or Ikuto must have bandaged up my body. Getting up from bed, I smelt the strong smell of bleach and cleaning supplies in the air. I remembered. I bled so much from my wounds that cleaning up after the big outburst yesterday probably was a pain for them.

I dragged myself and went to my suitcase, getting a clean pair of clothes to wear from my big suitcase of clothes.

I took a basket from his room and mentally marked that as my dirty laundry basket. I dragged myself to the shower, and stripped down before limping to the bath tub. Leaning against the wall, I turned on the shower, and winced as the water warmly sprayed over my ugly wounds.

I tenderly began to wash myself and watched the water go down the drain, in a beautiful scarlet color.

The wounds, especially the ugly gash on my stomach, were painful to apply medicine to after shower. I had to bite onto my lip as I silently bandaged up myself with a bandage roll a nurse brought in for me. Putting on my clothes, I went over to the kitchen.

I made some eggs and toast and poured in a glass of milk, warming it up.

Setting it down on the table, I went over to Ikuto's bed, and sat on his bed, and reached out, gently shaking his shoulder. Quick as a cat, he woke up after one shake.

He turned alarmed, but then his eyes turned surprisingly emotionless when he settled them on me. I understand. Although I proved him yesterday, it takes time to earn someone's trust. And he will probably take a long time to open up, considering such a long list of abuse he had endured.

I gently smiled and withdrew my hand, "Breakfast. Go on and eat something."

He shook his head and said, "I'm not hungry…"

I caught his hand and he looked at me surprised. Sending him a pleading look, I tried again, "Please? Won't you eat? For me?"

His eyes trembled with a thousand emotions, and he finally broke and said, "F-Fine."

I smiled and let go of his hand. I said, "It's on the breakfast table."

He nodded and painfully made his way to the table. I dragged myself to the table, and his eyes widened. It was just eggs and toast with warm glass of milk.

But the expression he had made me think he never got a proper breakfast before. Wasn't he, at some point, treated nicely?

He took a fork and cut piece of the scrambled eggs and put it in his mouth. When he did, tears spilled out and continuously started to drip on the table.

For one second, I was in pure awe. I never, ever, ever saw a grown man cry. Think about it, a twenty year old man who can be broken easily!

Alarmed, I took a napkin and scooted next to him and wiped his tears away, saying, "There, there now. If you think the eggs aren't properly cooked well I can make something else, like-"

"No," he hoarsely said, "I never had a meal. All I ever was fed was food scraps, my whole life."

My heart twisted. But, the caretakers! What about them?

"What about your previous caretakers? Surely some of them had the sanity of giving you complete meals?" I asked, hoping the answer would be yes.

He just let tears spilled, and I wanted to kick my own head for bringing up the topic. I started to hurriedly say, "I'm so sorry; it was stupid of me-"

"They were no different," he said, his eyes filled with fear.

I nodded and felt him tense up. I gave him an understanding look, not even daring to smile. Pressing him further, I gently prodded, "You want to talk about it? I won't force you, you know."

"They would beat me, just like my family," he said, tears dripping down from his sapphire eyes and he looked at me with big, sad, blue eyes.

"They locked me up," he said, "in a cage."

My breathing almost stopped. That was so low, an action done to animals, not humans!

"They said the only reason they wouldn't kill me is because I am in a mental hospital, and that they do not want to dirty their hands of doing such a disgusting crime and be sent to the court. But they said the same thing: I am worse than a cricket underneath someone's shoe. I do not deserve to live," he said, crying harder, and I snapped.

Not waiting for another response, I pulled him into a hug and he froze from the sudden action.

I was downright angry.

"Don't say that. You have every right to live. I was told the same thing several times daily. Do you think I ended my life? No. I kept hanging. You have a meaning, and I believe you have a potential to shine," I assured him, "believe me, please, just believe."

My button-up shit started to get wet on the shoulder and found that he rested his head on my shoulder and was crying, because I heard soft hiccupping and hands making fistfuls in my shirt. I hugged him tightly, just smoothed his hair back as his body racked with heavy sobs.

What else could I do?

[1 hour later…]

He finally let go of me, and I found he had finished his breakfast. His eyes were puffy in some way. He was so still that I could have dragged him like a doll.

Calmly smoothing his hair back, I gently smiled at him and said, "Let's get you cleaned up, all right?"

He nodded lifelessly, and let me pull him to the bathroom.

He made no attempt to undress, so I un-buttoned his nightgown top and pulled down his pants. I knew he was very uncomfortable of completely stripping down so I nodded when he tensed up. I am not embarrassed of seeing naked bodies since I bathed a lot of naked patients in the mental hospital. I said, "It's all right. Keep the boxers on."

He relaxed, and nodded, and sat criss-cross in the bath tub. Filling up a warm bucket of water, I took out soap and soaped his body down, being careful every time I reached an ugly scar, just like mine, just worse.

The water turned a brilliant red as he was probably bleeding as well. The last care-taker must have been an evil villain, probably.

He didn't wince in pain, but only relaxed and let out a sigh of contentment. He felt much better, I guess. Pouring his body with warm water which I made sure was slightly on the warm side, he relaxed in my arms to the point he was leaning into me.

Reaching for the shampoo, I dribbled a little into his rich, blue hair. Softly, and gently as if I were washing a newborn baby, I inched the soap deeper into his hair and gradually created thick foam. He was purring, I found out, five minutes into the soft head massage.

Calmly rinsing out the soap, I gently handed him a light blue towel. I whispered, "Wait here."

He nodded, and I opened his cabinet and got out a change of pair and new boxers, somehow blushing at the fact of having to take a pair of random boxers.

_Don't be so silly, Amu. You know what men and women undergarments look like. You have bathed naked people, because of work. This isn't any difference, _I told myself.

But somehow, a strong blush was carving itself on my face and I kind of felt weird for the fact. Taking a moment to be collected, I breathed in and out.

He might take a blush to be perverted thoughts which is far from what I have.

I open the door and give him a fresh change, and said, "When you are done changing, put your wet boxers in the laundry bin. I'm not going to change your clothes because I know you're uncomfortable."

He didn't make any facial expressions, but he looked very grateful in his eyes.

I smiled and said, "Take your time."

I then closed the door behind me.

I walked over to my futon, and found out I didn't make it. I drew the covers back neatly and rolled up my makeshift bed.

Taking my flute out of my case, I nestled the Humpty Lock into a corner of my backpack that contains my art supplies and sketchbooks and gladly took out my flute, which has a chubby blue spade, pink heart, yellow diamond, and green clover inscribed on my flute, an inch long for each inscribed symbol.

A kind man who owned a famous music store was very happy when I used to rent some of his flutes for band rehersals.

He then had this flute customized for me for my seventh birthday, the day he died, and the year Ami was born. The flute was expensive, and I argued for him to sell it, but he said he didn't care. The rest of his family neglected him and he always admired me because I had a profound love for music.

He took his personal savings and got the customized flute for me. He said, he was dying of cancer, from a lump that was growing dangerously close to his heart. He died, soon after Ami was born, probably a month later.

The old man's wish was for me to go after my dream of a flute player and a famous artist.

I fondly smiled at the happy memories we shared together and brought the flute to play a piece I composed in memory of his death, a long and sad piece.

By the time I was done, a soft voice spoke up, and said, "I never knew you played the flute."

I turned around to see Ikuto eyeing my flute with curiosity.

I smiled and said, "I did. Amakawa-san mentioned it, remember?"

His face scrunched up, as if trying to pull a memory out of thin air, and I giggled. His face showed defeat and said, "I forgot."

I chuckled and said, "It's all right, really."

I put up my flute, and he said, "When did you start playing the flute?"

I froze. I knew the answer. But what if he was disgusted with my answer? A girl who let her own family and friends abuse her, what will he think of me? A masochist?

"I just wanted to know," he said, looking at the ground as if I was raising a whip, "I mean, you know so much about me, I thought it was fair…"

I smiled and replied, "No, you're right."

He looked up at me with surprise.

I sighed and said, "Ever since my mom and dad found out I had pink hair and golden eyes, they deemed me as worthless and would neglect me for the time being until my little sister Ami was born. I felt so lonely, when my parents wouldn't look at me and my friends were disgusted with my hair, thinking that I probably dyed it to lure in guys, which I would never do."

His face hard, eyes flashing with anger, and fists balled up.

I sat next to him and put my hand on top of him.

"And?" he prodded me.

"And I felt so lonely that one day, I didn't bother coming home from school where my parents would completely ignore my existence. I got lost and ended up at a music shop. The man who owned it was a seventy year old man, and he didn't let me leave the shop until he diagnosed the 'perfect instrument' for me. Once he did, he lent a flute to me, free of charge, and urged me to practice it," I smiled at the memory.

Ikuto nodded, and urged me on.

"I would rent his flute again and again because my parents would be on the verge of snapping the flute in two pieces if they saw me happy. Then when my mother was expecting Ami, he gave me this flute, customized for me with the card symbols on it with its respective colors, and died, a month later. The flute was expensive, and he should've spent the money on him, but…" I trailed off, my heart tightening in the rib cage.

"But…?" he asked.

I yanked my hand away from his, and thought the intimate contact might be uncomfortable for him.

Disappointment and ager flashed in his eyes at the sudden loss of contact.

"But…but…he said no one cared for him. His family threw him out and his only living was the earnings he made at the shop. Whatever money he made as an extra he spent on my flute and donated the little amount to the charity," I said, my voice tightening, "he said that now I will hold a legacy, and he can…die from cancer, in peace…" I whispered the last part, no more air in my throat.

I touched my wounds, and the ugly gash on my stomach, and pain flared through me, through my bandages.

I shook, but didn't gasp out in pain.

I still felt as terrible as yesterday.

Ikuto looked at me with a slightly guilty face and said, "I'm sorry."

_I hate you Onee-chan! Go die!_

_What a worthless girl we gave birth to. She looks like a clown, with hair the shade of pink from circus. She is a pathetic excuse for a human, really._

_Does she really think she can become a prodigy? I mean look at her, she must be a cutter!_

_We won't allow that slut to be happy. Only Ami can be happy!_

"Amu?"

I was jerked to reality when I saw him lifelessly staring at me.

I emotionlessly looked at him and said, "What."

"You spaced out."

"Oh."

"What were you thinking about?" he asked, his face looked lifeless, but his eyes sold away what he was thinking. Then I figured, he has a mask, just like me. A cold, unfeeling mask.

I shook my head sadly and said, "Something painful."

"Like?"

"You'll find out, soon."

He wanted to ask more and probably wanted to argue, but I held a finger to my lips again, and motioned for him to calm down.

"I know you have a thousand questions. I will give you a thousand answers, but soon. Be patient."

He calmed down, and I said, "Well, go to sleep, and I will wake you up at lunch time."

I was about to get up, when a hand grabbed my left one, and I looked, alarmed, at Ikuto. His face held determination as he spoke, "Sing me a song."

_Sing me a song._

My eyes softened. I remember asking my parents countless times to sing me something but they would just shove me to the corner. But when Ami asked, they would sing all kinds: poetic, love ballads, sonnets, adventurous, romantic, tragedy, you name it. All Ami had to do was pick out a genre and they would sing a song out of their large library of memorized songs and sing it for her. I would just sneak up on her room to hear the song, even if sometimes I got caught and got beaten up.

I sat back down on his bed and whispered, "What kind of song?"

He shrugged and looked at me with a blank expression, "Any."

I nodded and stroked his hair, watching his eyes droop. His hand fell to his side, but I didn't leave. I promised to sing him a song.

Opening my mouth, the first song that came to me, and please don't be so ashamed, was "Vanilla Twilight" by Owl City.

As I sang it, tears dripped from his eyes, and I softly laced my hand with his, almost gasping at how his fingers fit with mine, perfectly. Like a lock and key.

I almost stopped breathing but didn't dare falter my voice when I sang.

I finished my song quietly and softly. And then I leaned in and did something I never did to any patient I took care of: I kissed his forehead.

Letting go of his hand, I murmured, "Sweet dreams."

I then scooted away from him, so tucked perfectly.

[Ikuto's POV]

Her voice was so melodic. She sounded like an angel. I wonder, is it all right to trust her?

Father always said, that there will be one girl who will love me for who I am on the inside, and that will be the person I will fall in love with.

He handed me the Dumpty Key, and had told me that there is a girl who is entitled the owner of the Humpty Lock and she will be the one who I will fall in love with.

Her voice sounds so sad and so broken that she makes me cry in my sleep.

I never cry. Men don't cry, women do. Men are strong while women are soft little creatures who laugh and giggle and cry over the smallest of things.

But she, she is different. I thought she was another lust hungry person who won't show her innocent side in front of Amakawa san, the only kind person to me.

But when she let me beat her up, I found out, she is sad and broken on the inside like I am. Maybe she won't abuse me like my family and friends and previous caretakers.

She sings the verse which contains the line about hands fitting perfectly together and laces her hands with mine. She gasps and I inwardly freeze. This song felt personally customized because our fingers fit like lock and key. Like the Humpty Lock and Dumpty Key.

In my sleep, I nearly cry in happiness. A finally kind girl. A girl who will really treat me nicely, even if I do not fall in love at all. Or maybe I will, I don't know.

But this is the first time someone didn't beat me up, and call me a black cat of misfortune. She sees me for my inside qualities and I am so happy that now instead of Amakawa san, also she might be part of the family I felt like I never had.

Her hand, much to my anger, and I do not know why, left mine, and she did the most surprising thing of all.

She. Kissed. My. Forehead.

No one ever did that to me.

She murmured, "Sweet dreams."

The body heat next to me left, and I was once again on the bed, lonely. I was happy to find out that she didn't make a run for it and she was merely rummaging in her bag for…a sketchbook? Yes I had my eyelids open a bit.

She looked out the windows and sketched whatever she saw, making a beautiful picture-like retro version of the boring urban area outside.

Sighing inwardly, I closed my eyes and went back to sleep.

[Three Hours Later…]

[Normal POV]

Tsukasa went to Ikuto's room with a nurse following behind her. He was worried about his 'daughter'. He wanted Amu to be safe and feeling better, even though the event happened yesterday only.

Opening the door with his set of keys, he smiled at the sight. Ikuto smiling a hint in his sleep and Amu asleep on a chair with a sketchbook in her hand and a pencil rolling on the floor.

The nurse nervously tapped his shoulder, and said, "Should I wake her up to make his lunch?"

Tsukasa flashed his credit card up and said, "No."

The nurse started to protest.

"I am going to order it in. You can't be so rude to disturb this beautiful work of art," Tsukasa gestured at the scenario.

The nurse was about to argue but clamped her mouth shut and looked at the scenario. Blushing she nodded and said, "Yes, Amakawa-sama."

Tsukasa smiled and handed the card to the nurse. When she was gone to order the lunch in for the two with his personal order whispered in her ear, he softly closed the door behind him and locked it, so the two could get some rest.

oooooo


	3. Facades and Secrets

[Amu's POV]

[Three days later]

I woke up, from another bad dream. My breathing was haphazard. I felt like I was being stifled alive. Like my own sister was trying to suffocate me in my sleep, which might I add has happened before. I let tears drip onto my bed.

I remember the last remnant of my nightmare was my sister, her hands clawed around my neck, her throwing me up and hard against a wall.

I could hear the _thump, thump, thump! _That was me getting painfully hit against the wall. Again and again, and again.

I remembered her voice, it was the same voice that kicked me out of my house:

_"_I hate you, Onee-chan! Go die!"

_"I hate you, Onee-chan! Go die!"_

_**"I hate you, Onee-chan! Go die! I don't want to see you ever again!"**_

My eyes flew open in horror.

"AMI!"

I shot up in bed, breathing heavily, my breathing ragged, and hair haphazard. Tears dripped down my cheeks, and I started to cry, very hard. My eyes red rimmed looking out into the night while my tears falling down relentlessly despite my protest to not cry. I could feel my mask being slowly broken.

"Amu?" a velvet voice sounded to my right, and I looked, in a panic at whoever this intruder might be. I freeze as the movements become more frantic making the fear I tried to keep bottled up inside release, but I will not scream.

My eyes quickly moving from side to side and my ears perking up to listen, scared if my parents or Ami are going abuse me once more. I turn my head to the person with tears still falling out of my eyes.

It was just Ikuto, no abusive person, no backstabber, just Ikuto. The man who is in the same position as me. I regain my self and speak up.

"Y-Yeah?" I frantically tried to smooth out the wrinkles of my shirt. I was so scared, and I didn't know what to do. I felt like an abused kitty, living in this harsh world taking in everything that happens. Left to roam around the Earth with no sort of resolve or goal in life but to survive.

"You have to eat, you know," he said. My heart dropped into my stomach. I thought he would ask what I was having a nightmare about. But he didn't ask, I felt happy and sad that he doesn't bother to ask. At least he didn't try to probe answers from me but then again, no one tries to get any answers out of me.

I wrapped my arms around myself and shivered underneath my shirt and jeans. I felt cold, and I felt hot. I felt sad, and I felt happy. It's a bittersweet feeling that resides within my heart, not just feeling the sadness and pain of my everyday life but happiness to the fact that someone cared about me for once.

Tears dripping from my eyes, alarmed him, because he was the normal one to cry. Not me. I faced him and said, with an emotionless mask on and tears dripping down I said, "I don't feel hungry right now." I ignore my stomach's silent pleas for food because I cannot stomach it.

I made my futon, and then felt eyes boring into the back of my neck, and I touch my neck, my sign of insecurity. I used that sign to cover my lies. I hope Ikuto doesn't know that. I get up and walk away from him feeling his intense gaze upon me.

I uneasily make my way to the shower, and closed the door behind me. I stripped down, feeling so bare, so naked, and _so ugly _when I fully expose myself. Insecurity is my worse nightmare, it makes me feel like I am ugly and with the scars it makes me look like a masochist.

I am pretty sure that insecurity is going to be one of the things that will be the end of me.

Climbing into the shower, I turned on the shower head, the unpredictable water came gushing out of the shower head.

I let the water wash over me, slightly crying in pain when water touched my skin. The scalding hot water pressed against my body, ricocheting against my scars.

I traced my scars, and whimpered in pain every time my fingers touched a tender spot of my cuts.

I felt like a thousand needles were pressing against my wounds, and I felt like I was being torn apart on the inside. (Eri: I think this is how anyone would feel if they got abused recently. Agree, anyone?)

I limped over to the cabinet after turning off the knob and bandaged my wounds slowly. My wounds weren't bleeding and were starting to close up, but they immensely hurt me. It felt like being struck down with an arrow and falling down a high cliff.

Weakly putting on the bandages, I limped to put on my clothes, which happened to be nightgown.

_Just my day. Dammit. Why these of all times..._

I face-palmed myself. My stupidity. In the spur of the moment, I had to grab the wrong clothes.

Not wanting to be indecent in front of him, I shivered and just shoved on the clothes.

I weakly shook off this weird feelings that seem to be creeping up my back. I shiver, as I climbed out of the bathroom, putting up my towel. I am nervous for this being the first time for this to happen and my anticipation increases at every step I take out of the bathroom.

I dried my hair, and calmly sat on the floor where my futon was, and took out the knots. I felt the pair of eyes bore into my neck and I looked over to Ikuto, whose eyes burned with worry. I take this feeling as something else and asked him a question to change the subject, like always.

"Was the food not to your liking?" I smiled.

He looked at me with probing eyes and I tried to play innocent.

"I will take that as a no?" I gave him another smile

"You haven't eaten, why?" he said, pointing the obvious question. He was right but not eating for one day won't matter, right?

"Starving yourself for one day isn't healthy. Good luck with that," he said. And the look in his eyes made me think he wasn't going to let me go anytime soon. I need a good, quick excuse. Where are excuses when you need them?

I stopped combing my hair and said, "I don't feel like it." I say in a tense matter looking up at him with nervous eyes. I have to keep up a facade just to worry him less.

Warm hands took mine, and I was forced to look into his eyes. Sapphire eyes burned into mine, and he looked at me with determination.

I tried to take my hands out of his, but his were staying strong. He took one of his long, nimble fingers lifted my chin to look at him. His face was contorted with worry and frustration of him trying to get me to eat.

"I-Ikuto let m-me go," I was getting scared. My eyes dilated in fear because it seemed so familiar.

My nightmare was coming back. I felt the reality I was once in leave me as I was dragged into the past. The past of my corrupted little sister's warm and once kind small finger to link with my neck. The mere nightmare of it sends a chill down my spine as I return to reality to see his hand is still on my face. I squeeze my eyes shut and wait for the expected.

He was no more, but my little sister with auburn hair and bright topaz eyes, twisted with an emotion I couldn't read at the moment, then again when I think about it...Ah yes…. it was indeed the emotion that I haven't seen in a long time…..jealousy and madness.. The madness is what took my once dear sister's heart and jealousy took over her soul.

I closed my eyes, waiting for the kind and warm fingers to become icy cold and unforgiving. I waited for those cold fingers to close around my neck.

And squeeze the life out of me.

Waiting for the black spots to appear in my line of sight and fall inside the darkness that beckons me there.

The finger underneath my chin, traveled up my cheeks. The tears that dripped down my cheeks were falling continuously were wiped away by a warm hand that caressed my face which made me nudge into his palm out of slight pain from my scars and the feeling of being caressed made me feel loved.

My eyes opened in wide shock, and the threatening image of my sister melted away. There was no innocent Ami. There was no evil Ami. There was no villain. Just a man who was in the same position but much worse that I.

It was just Ikuto. The person who was mostly emotionless and teary. He was kindly wiping away my tears and said, "I know you are hiding something from me. I told you everything about me so I have the right to know." He says looking at me with those deep sapphire eyes.

I leaned into his touch and said, "It was scary, very haunting to me." I shudder from the memory of it and swallow back a sob that was trying to come out.

He wrapped me in a hug, which wasn't tight or loose. I haven't been hugged in so long, it feels so nostalgic to me now. I wrap my arms around his back and accept his hug; to me the hug seemed caring and it made me relax a bit. But I don't remove my cracked emotionless mask, instead I keep it on and say nothing.

I can't let him get past me. He is just my patient, why am I readily telling him all of this?! What will he do once he is let go of this hospital? Turn me into my parents? And get more beatings? I don't think so! I suffered enough!

"You taught me to comfort people when needed but you have never been comforted in your life span just like me. Learn to trust me just like how I am beginning to trust you. Before I met you I trusted no one, but when I met you after getting that false accusation on your behalf I felt like I could trust you. For that reason, thank you," Ikuto says making circles in the small of my back in a comforting way.

Tears pricked at the edge of my eyes. I had nothing to say against that. I could not seem to make a sentence to counteract against it. He's right, but in some way he's wrong.

Ikuto sighed and said, "I knew it."

I didn't know what he meant, but then he sighed and said, "I don't know how long it will take, but I want to trust you and I want you to trust me as well. Two people who had the same problem, I believe we can become very close. Lets soon drop out mask and show what we truly feel instead of just pain and our misfortune. We can turn a new leaf and live happily." He may say but he doesn't seem to understand my situation here.

"Ikuto you can find a place to live in but I can't. I have to go back home and go back to stage one. Its not so easy to start a new life, we both may be labeled as an abused case but we both have different hearts. You know the one thing that bothers me?" I say standing up abruptly and looking down at the ground.

"What?" He says looking up into my eyes.

"The day when I first met you, before I came here my own little baby sister kicked me out of the house yelling _'I hate you Onee-chan! Go die! I don't want to see you ever again.' _and throwing random items at me," I began and stopped to inhale also to stop my emotions from overflowing in my mind.

"When Ami was a baby she always laughed and played with me but ever since she has gotten older my parents have corrupted her soul saying that I was going to steal her happiness and crush her dreams of becoming a star like your sister. She became insane and jealous since that day, choking me, suffocating me with a pillow, dropping her food on me, blaming me which cause more abuse than usual for hurting their _'precious music prodigy Ami, who is going to be the next Hoshina Utau'_ and locked me in the room without food for days on end. That is why….if l were to take off my mask I would most likely be dead at this moment…... and nobody would care," l say with tears falling out of my eyes and plopping onto Ikuto's hair on accident.

"I am so sorry. Here let me..." I say and take out a handkerchief and wipe my tears of regret and sorrow away from his soft, cat-like hair. He may be nice, but who knows what he might do to me.

"Amu, that is horrible. To think she wants to be just like my abusive singer sister Utau. I find that ironic that they both abused us and your sister wants to be more like her," He says this, and I nod.

"To tell you the truth, I thought she was just a stuck up. I didn't know she was far worse," I said.

Ikuto processed this and nodded, and then defended her, "She was pure. She was innocent. She was a girl who loved flowers, cakes, pastries, cute stuff and singing. But now...I wonder, who is she?"

"Did she change that much?" I ask.

"I don't know, you tell me. When she started, she wore cute, frilly outfits that was adorable for a singer for her age. She was innocent and trusted everyone, and was gullible," Ikuto laughed in a bitter tone to the point that I jumped in surprise.

"But when Kazuomi killed my dad out of jealousy because he and I knew my mom loved him, he corrupted my mom and sister into thinking that I just wanted to suck my dad dry of his wealth," he looked at a corner, bitterly.

"That's terrible," I whispered.

"And that is when she took all of this to her head. She is now labeled his 'priceless doll' and she rakes a huge amount of money in for my step-dad's company, Easter. She doesn't mind it and now she dresses in costumes that is inadequate to call even undergarments. She turned into a huge slut."

I shrugged my shoulders and said, "I guess it is also partly fame's fault."

He just shrugged his shoulders, and said, "I don't know, Amu, I don't know. All I know is she is corrupted because of her gullible nature and now she is headed down the wrong path."

I nodded, and sat still.

"I heard you play a violin," I said, to break the tense atmosphere, but it only made it heavier.

_Keyword: Violin._

"Yeah. I do. That violin was my father's," he tensely added.

I froze. Maybe that's why. Note: give myself a mental kick in the head.

"Sorry," I mumbled. Would he hit me for mentioning his father?

"It's ok," he said.

"Won't you play it?" I asked hopefully. I wonder how he sounds on a violin.

"No," he said, without a moment's hesitation.

"Why not?" I asked.

"It brings back...memories. Of me and my father," he tensed up. I know that feeling. It is the feeling of trying to run away from memories that haunt the mind. I would tell him otherwise but if I do, he might be scarred. He will just have to play it when he feels ready.

I nodded and said, "Of course?"

"Will you eat now?" he asked me again.

I looked at the window, and saw it to be bright and shiny. Birds were chirping and everyone was happy. Looking at the scenery outside, a painful memory throbbed at my heart, and I was longing, to be happy like those happy families outside.

I burn with jealousy every time I see a happy father, mother, and a daughter. It reminds me of every birthday and christmas wish I made, but never came true.

I never got a happy family. My mom and dad were picture perfectionists, and a daughter with pink hair and golden eyes is a stain to our family of perfect brown/auburn hair and golden eyes.

There is no room for me, a mere outcast. There is no place for me to hide.

Will I be able to be as happy as the people outside my window?

"Maybe," I said, emotionlessly looking at the ground.

.

.

.

TBC


	4. Humpty Dumpty

[Next Day]

_"Onee-chan! Look at those flowers! They're so…pretty!" Ami childishly squealed as she ran up to those flowers._

_"Yeah, they are. Which one is your favorite?" Amu smiled._

_Ami pointed to a pink flower that neither of them knew the name of. But the striking feature of that flower is that it had bright pink petals, just like her hair. It struck a chord in Amu's heart that Ami's favorite flower would be the the flower that resembles her._

_"Thank you, Ami, thank you," Amu breathed. She didn't want to pick the flower. It looked so pretty like it was. Picking the flower would cut off the life it has._

_"It is not as pretty as onee-chan, though," Ami shuffled her feet._

_Amu looked at Ami with a surprised look._

_"Because onee-chan is the most prettiest thing in the world and Ami loves onee-chan!" Ami suddenly threw herself into Amu's arms._

_Amu didn't know what to do as she hugged Ami. But she felt tears prick her eyes._

_Ami…_

[Amu's POV]

"Ami…"

"Amu?"

I wake up at the mention of my name. I furiously wipes away any tears that I must've shed during my dream and wearily look at Ikuto, who is looking at me with a blank expression.

"What?"

"You were crying in your sleep again."

"Oh."

Suddenly, a phone went off. I muttered along the lines of, "I thought I never had a cellphone!"

Picking up the cellular device, I held it snug against my ear, before speaking, "Hello?"

"Aw, come on, Amu-chan! Is that the way you greet your soon-to-be father?" Tsukasa's cheery voice came on the other side of the phone. It sounded so bizarre because Tsukasa was a person who is normally calm and collected. I never knew Tsukasa had such a childish side to him.

"Anyways, Amakawa-san," I started with the most important issue in the world. How did I have a cell phone?

"Call me daddy!" he whined, totally out of character.

"I can't call you dad until you legally adopt me, Amakawa-san," I sweat dropped.

"...Fine…" he pouted on the other side of the phone.

"Anyways, how do I have a cellphone? I don't recall my parents ever getting me something," I looked curious. Out of the corner of her eye, Ikuto clenched his fists when she mentioned that. What does she mean she never got anything?

"I made a plan for you, no daughter of mine is going to be neglected of her needs…." Amakawa says into the phone.

"Um… Amakawa-san...are you okay?" I ask him and now that I noticed his background it sounds like a party.

"Yes…I am perfectly fine, just at a party that's all. And about you living with me..." He trails off, but I feel uneasy now.

I gulped. I thought he was fine with me staying in Ikuto's room! Now that I look back on it seems that Amakawa was acting strange when I came to Ikuto's room, and it wasn't my suspicion.

"I want you to live in the spare guest bedroom. I know Ikuto won't try anything on you, but I can't have you staying in a _boy's _room, Amu, I want you to feel safe and I will make you stay in my home until your family's one month vacation is over, you have to agree with me if we are going to make this work." he said on the other side of the phone.

I was getting worried. Will he cut off my assignment to look after Ikuto?

"No, I will not end your assignment to look after him. It was your choice, and I can't stop you, you know. But you will stay with me for the time being, until your family comes back and then we will take them to court."

I was still worried. Ikuto is in a fragile state and he is cold, but he cries around me only, and he might be delirious if I am taken away from him! I can't leave him, not like this! I like spending time with him!

"Are you okay with that, Amu-chan?" Amakawa-san is prodding me on the other side of the phone.

"Yeah, it's okay," I said, even though my throat felt tight, I denied it and pressed on "When do I come?"

"This evening," he answered.

"O-Okay," I said. What else should I say?

"See you, Amu-chan!"

"Same," I tightly say, and the phone goes dead. I sigh and close the phone and put it back wherever I found it, and start to slowly pack up my things.

"Where do you think you're going?" a velvet voice stops me dead in my tracks.

"Uh, nowhere," I nervously laugh and scratched the back of my head.

"You aren't going to leave me, are you? The last one did, please don't tell me you are." Ikuto said which made me feel a tad bit of guilt. I swiveled around to see Ikuto sitting on his bed, hugging his knees to his chest.

"Amakawa-san wants me to move in with him," I said, "I am not leaving, you know."

"That is what everyone tells me. They won't leave me, I am not leaving when they really are in the end" his eyes harden, "You are no different."

My heart shatters at his cold attitude, and said, "Amakawa-san isn't breaking off my assignment, Ikuto. Please."

His body trembles in anger and I shake, out of fear. What if he hurts me? What if he raises a hand on me? I am no different.

"I-Ikuto?" my voice quivers.

"Just go," his voice hardens.

He then turns around and pulls the covers hard over his head. I almost break apart. The one person I thought I might be able to get closer to, just pushes me away.

I am already packed, and a buzz comes from my light blue art supply backpack. I take out my phone and I read the text:

_To: Amu_

_From: Daddy (Tsukasa)_

_Sent at: 3:34 P.M._

_Amu-chan,_

_I am waiting outside for you. Come out when you're ready!_

_Hugs and kisses,_

_Otou-san_

_Options: Reply-Delete-Forward-Ignore_

I rolled my eyes when he nicknamed himself 'daddy' for me. I looked back at Ikuto, and I saw that he was now sitting up straight, glaring at my phone.

I walk towards him, I reach out a hand and softly say, "I have to go now, Ikuto."

His face clenches when I said that, and I rub my thumb over his face scars and say, "I will see you at dinner time. I will come over to make you dinner, all right?"

When he makes no move, and just stays like that like a doll whose heart was ripped out, I pull him into a hug, me resting my forehead on his shoulder. Then, the humpty lock that I decided to wear around my neck, started to glow from underneath my layers of clothing.

It was warm, and Ikuto's eyes widened. I laughed nervously, and didn't want him to worry about it, and said, "Ahh, I must not be feeling well. I guess I need to get some rest! I guess I have a fever!"

Ikuto's eyes widen and he encircles my arms with his huge, thin hands and says, "Amu, wait!"

We are interrupted by the phone ringing in my pocket. I break out of Ikuto's iron grip on my hands and uneasily answer, "Hello?"

"Amu-chan, hurry up! I want to show you your new room!" he exclaims.

"In the attic?" I raise an eyebrow?

"Heavens no! That is such a rude thing to do to children! An animalistic torture!" he yells on the phone.

I hold my hand up in mock defeat and say, "Okay, okay, calm down, I was just kidding. I am coming right now."

"Fine," he pouts on the other side of the phone.

I laugh really hard and then hang up. I put on a thick coat to hide any signs of glowing from my Humpty Lock. I do not want Ikuto to get worried more than he is. He already is mixed with the idea of me leaving him forever, as if that isn't crazy enough.

"Amu."

The determined voice makes me freeze as I was pulling up my zipper. I shudder and arms pin me down to the bed, a hand making its way to the edge of my zipper, about to pull it down.

"You are hiding something from me," he stares so deep in my eyes, and I realise what he is doing, he is slowly torturing me!

"I-It's…" I manage out.

"It's what?" he asks.

"It is a secret that is too dark for you to know," my cheeks heat up, and I break out of his arms, "I will see you at dinner time. Sleep well and eat the meal I laid out for you."

I break out of his warm arms and sling my flute case strap around me, carry the backpack in my right arm and roll my luggage of clothes in my left. All my clothes from laundry were in it and I am pretty sure I am not forgetting anything.

I smile at Ikuto and he says to me, "I won't eat anything until you come."

My heart skips a beat, and I argue, "But what if a nurse brings you something to eat or drink?"

"Then I will throw it away," he said with determined eyes, "so come back soon."

I could just nod, and my throat becomes thick. I don't know what else to say so I just leave, lock the door, and start down the hallway.

I exit the building. Thankfully, there were no nurses interested in nursing Ikuto because although they were attracted by looks, I am probably sure the moment they try to butter him behind my back, they will just get flung away. I know this because whenever and wherever I went the past few days, nurses would whisper in admiration, "How does the girl get along with that monster? Does she realize that he was a mistake? If that's the case then she is just like him, a _monster._"

It took me all my will not to snap at them and slap them so hard for calling Ikuto a monster, because he is far from being one. I don't care what they do to me but Ikuto doesn't deserve this kind of treatment.

I wait outside, and I see Amakawa-san's bright red Mazda car.

"Hop in!" he cheers.

I roll my eyes and load my things in the back seat and sit next to him in the front seat.

"So, when will my tutoring start? I have to know how long they will be, or else Ikuto will get possessive," I told him.

"You will be taking online classes, so when you are not attending to his needs, you can get lessons done and homework, quizzes, and tests completed. I know you are a smart girl. You did very good in school, right?" Amakawa-san asked.

"I would still be in school had there not been abusive people and backstabbers," I muttered, hoping he wouldn't catch that, but I guess since luck isn't on my side today, he heard.

He grimaced and said, "The world isn't fair, Amu."

I sighed and he drove off, "I know."

"I will help you every step of the way, Amu, but you have to quit your what-if's. I know you are scared of being more scarred, so I am going to take your parents to court. I know you are scared of going to school, so I set up online schooling for you. I am doing all of this so you don't have to be worried. Meanwhile you can heal, and then later go to an actual school and make real friends and actually fall in love," he emphasized the last word.

I grimaced, "Tadase was the worst choice."

He nodded, and said, "I don't know what happened to him. He was so kind when he was a child. But then again, Ikuto-kun told me that Tadase was possessive over him and would hide his jealousy through a princely personality."

I raised an eyebrow, "How did Ikuto know Tadase?"

"You know the Dumpty Key?" he asked.

I gasped.

"What?" he asked in confusion.

"You mean _the _Dumpty Key that fits with the Humpty Lock?" I clarified with him.

"Yeah...why?" he drove into the driveway of the house and parked his car there, but made no attempt to get out of the car.

"I am the owner of the lock," I said.

"No way…" his face paled.

"Yes way," I insist. To prove my point, I pull the zipper down, and yanked my lock from it's confinement.

"Oh my heavens. Amu, why didn't you tell me?" he whispered as he touched my lock to see if it was real.

"I didn't know how to tell you, Amakawa-san," I sheepishly ducked my head.

"Call me dad. Or if that is too uncomfortable with you, call me Tsukasa," he insisted.

I nodded and I asked him, "So what about the Dumpty Key?"

"The Dumpty Key belonged to Ikuto's father. He passed it down to Ikuto since he is the new chosen owner. You are the original owner of the Humpty Lock, and will be remembered for that because you are the first person the Humpty Lock ever responded to," he said, and I nodded.

"The key was passed down to Ikuto, and when he was little, he lived with Tadase's family. Since his father disappeared, he left the key with the family. Tadase was given it to take care of. But Tadase took it to his head that he was the _chosen one _and kept it with him like he owned it. When Utau and Ikuto left the family, Ikuto took the key with him, and Tadase called him a thief and monster ever since," Tsukasa said sadly, "He spent his time looking for his father, and when he did, you know the rest of the story. His mother was forced to marry Hoshina Kazuomi and Utau's last name was changed from Tsukiyomi to Hoshina. She didn't mind, but Ikuto insisted on keeping his last name since he hated Kazuomi to the core."

I whispered, "So he is the owner of the Dumpty Key?"

He nodded.

My cheeks heated up and I ducked down my head, and I said, "I do not want him to know."

He showed surprise and said, "You can't keep secrets from him, Amu. He isn't a little child that has to be babied."

"I know...but he might be too surprised if he found out that the person he was looking for was closer than he thought. He just thinks of me as...friends…" I whispered the last word, "he is too traumatized to even fall in love, Tsukasa."

He sighed and said, "You know, he is very smart and catches onto things. He probably knows how he feels but doesn't tell, Amu. He just won't admit it and cover it up with titles like 'just friends' or something like that."

I flushed, but I said, "I don't want to impose anything on him, Tsukasa. He is still wounded, like it or not, and he might be even more confused if we try to stuff the truth in his face."

He sighed and said, "He really rubbed off on you, didn't he?"

I shook my head and said, "You have no idea."

He sighed and said, "Well, let's have lunch and I will drive you to the hospital around dinner time to make Ikuto's dinner. Or should I tell a nurse to do that?"

I shook my head and said, "That's a bad idea."

He raised an eyebrow and said, "Why not?"

I said, "If a nurse tries to make it for him, he said he will accept the food, but he will secretly throw it away, even water. He wants everything made by my hands only. I tried to reason with him but he just stayed stubborn."

He shook his head and said, "Someone's possessive."

I blushed scarlet, and I do not know why. I am probably sick, that's why! I just need a little rest and I will be back to normal...right?

"W-Whatever. L-Let's just get this over with," I huff with my developed cool 'n' spicy tone and he chuckles.

"Get your flute case and art bag. I will get the 'heavy' stuff," he chuckled.

"I am not that weak!" I protest.

"Whatever you say, princess," he laughed as he was already headed for the door with my bag.

I huff again and lug my two items with me.

At least I got a home.

.

.

.

TBC


	5. Painful Encounter

"_Grandpa, don't die!" a little Amu clutched the seventy year old man's hand on his hospital bed._

_"Don't cry for me, little one, it is my time to go." he gently smiled, "This is inevitable fate is inescapable. You will die one day you know. God just happened for me to die today."_

_"Let me tell you something Amu, when God comes to end your life, he gives you another one and your soul lives on. One day we'll meet again." He says his shaking hand reaches out to Amu's and she holds onto it for her dear life._

_"But it could be prolonged," Amu argued, "You didn't have to spend all that money on the flute. You could just try to get better."_

_"The reason I gave it to you is because you are special. I wouldn't have had it any other way," He says his eyes beginning to glaze over. I hold back a couple of sobs before I drop to the floor, my restrained tears falling relentlessly against my will._

_"Amu don't cry, I will be watching over you forever in the sky. When you look at the evening sky it will show you that I am there watching over you," He says weakly pointing at the window and his arm drops back down to his bedside._

_Grandpa's breathing becomes weak and I knew then and there that this was his fatal farewell._

_"Granpa…*sob*," her body breaks down, tears spilling from her eyes as she watched the man that she called her 'grandpa' disappear into thin air._

_It was all gone, and she couldn't do anything about it._

[Amu's POV]

Tears spilled from my eyes. Sorry for the time skip, but it had been a week since I moved in the house with Tsukasa.

I climbed out of my bed with a drowsy feeling. I felt chained. For the first time, I felt the ever growing pain of losing the only person in the world that cared about me, back then.

"Amu-chan!" The door flung wide open to reveal Tsukasa. He was in an apron that seemed frilly, in my view, at least. Had I been a normal child, I would have laughed on the spot. But no, I am a child with an abusive background so nothing seems funny to me.

"Yes, I am getting ready," I sighed.

"You didn't find my apron funny?" Tsukasa pouted.

"Was it?" I raised an eyebrow as I took my neatly folded blue scrubs and crisp clean lab coat.

"Well it was," Tsukasa pouted, and I raised an eyebrow, "To me."

"Well nice story, but I have to get to work," I shrugged and got changed into my scrubs and lab coat.

Tsukasa san looked saddened, but then made his way back into the kitchen. I had to make it to the hospital on time to make Ikuto breakfast or that guy will not let anything go down his throat. I mean, he already said so himself that he will forever stay this stubborn. He's like a little kid and I am his mother.

I sighed and slung my blue backpack and stuffed my flute case in it, just for good measure. I never let the flute leave my side. I had the Humpty Lock in my backpack, so that it doesn't give off a huge glow every time I come in contact with Ikuto.

I came down the stairs, surprising Tsukasa out of his wits. He was pushing a plate of pancakes towards me and then I wrapped it in aluminum foil and started walking out the doors. As I was putting on my shoes, he called, "Amu where are you going?"

"To the car. Remember what Ikuto said?" I reminded him.

"Oh yeah," he had to rub his chin to recall and even that happened yesterday, "What was it?"

I sweat-dropped and said, "What do you have, short term memory? He said he wouldn't eat anything made by the nurses."

"THAT is what he said," Tsukasa snapped his fingers like he was knowledgeable, and I shook my head in disappointment.

"Come on, or else he will be able to snap a volcano in two," I mocked him, and he sighed and said, "Fine."

I hopped in his car, and he climbed in after me. Throughout the ride to the hospital, I napped, finding myself in a heavy state when I woke up, due to the fact that my night had been plagued by nightmares again. I wondered, now that I am living such a good life now, and my parents and sister will be sent to jail for the abuse I got, why won't my nightmares go away?

It plagues me, it haunts me. Different scenes, such as my sister hugging me in a meadow of flowers, or my sister strangling me, or my parents abusing me till I couldn't move. I would sometimes longingly dream of the nice days when we used to be happy, just my mom, dad, and I. But after Ami was born, I was resented and everything had gone downhill from there.

A hand shook my shoulder, and I collected my senses.

"We are here, Amu. Wake up," a voice told me.

I opened my eyes. Tsukasa was right, the car wasn't moving and the car was parked in front of the hospital.

I nodded and unfastened my seatbelt and went for the front desk. Tsukasa waved his hand and promised me that he will come later at the end of the day to check up on me before going off in a different direction.

I nodded and signed in before grabbing my stuff and starting up the elevator. Along the way, I was given a chart and stethoscope to fill out of his physical condition. Apparently it was very important for the hospital to track THAT down as well.

I heard the elevator ding. I then went down the hall and found Ikuto's room. I went inside and the moment the room door closed, was two arms wrapped around my waist, touching the gash on my stomach, the one that hurts the most.

I gasped out in pain and the arms immediately left, but at my cry in pain, a head nuzzled in the crook of my neck, silencing me of whatever flight-or-flight responses I might have been having at the moment.

"You came," he breathed into my neck, making me shiver at the soft touch. For a guy his skin is really soft.

"Yeah I did because if I didn't someone would start riot about how I didn't come back to feed him. I wonder who that was…." I trail off and put a finger to my lips in pretend thought. "Oh yeah that's right, it was you."

Ikuto released me from the light embrace and trailed behind me to the kitchen watching contently like a little kitten. I giggle slightly at the thought of him as a little kitten begging strangers for food.

"What's so funny?" Ikuto says wrapping his arms lazily around my neck and pressing his face against my cheeks rubbing back and forth.

"Quit it," I demand him but he only says no and continues as I 'try' to make breakfast.

"Not until you tell me what made you laugh earlier." He says and looks up at me with a curious set of sapphire eyes that locked into mine.

"Fine, I was just thinking about how you looked like a cat that was so desperately hungry for food that's all." I know this sounds strange but I have grown surprisingly close to Ikuto and he made me more chatty in the past couple of weeks.

"Oh…" He says and he goes to sit at the table as I set his plate on the table.

"Itadakimasu~." Ikuto sings and begins to eat quickly until he starts choking in his food and I quickly go and get him a glass of water.

"See that's what happens when you eat too fast, eat your food slower for now on." I laughed, but nevertheless pat him on the back so he can choke up his bite.

He coughed a little before saying, "I knew that."

I laughed softly and then got up to wash his dishes for him. I picked out his clothes since he makes me do everything for him as if I am his mother. I hand it to him and say, "Come on, go get ready."

He makes a face and then I roll my eyes and say, "No I will not bathe you."

He sighs in defeat and goes into the bathroom, and soon enough I hear water sprinkling on the bathtub. I look up from my magazine and I hear screaming from outside which causes me to jump 7 feet in the air. Alarmed, I put down the magazine to see a girl with twin blonde pigtails throttling Tsukasa on why he is not letting her see her 'worthless brother'.

I step out and glower, "What in the seven hells is going on here?!"

Utau glared at me and started to advance on me, letting go of Tsukasa. He gasped from air coming back to his windpipe, and she glares at me, saying, "Where is my worthless brother? I want to murder him, and I will not rest until he is dead." Okay then… so I guess this is the famous Utau Hoshina… nice...

I glare back, and she throws me against a wall. I do not answer her but say, "On the count of three, if you do not calm down and leave, then I will call the security on you. And I will tell everyone in this whole wide world how much of a bitch you are." I say and I grab the hand that holds me against my collar and I press on it holding it tightly. Her grip tightens and she throws me back and forth from the wall to the ground. Tsukasa tries to interfere but I only raise a hand for him to stop. I could feel the blood running down my nostrils, the metallic smell echoing through my senses.

"*Cough cough* Utau stop this he didn't do anything to you so just stop!" I say only to be thrown back into the wall again. The pain echoed through my spinal cord and I cough up blood. I feel it trickle down my chin as Uatu raises me up to look at me.

She glowered at me, and said, "You can't stop me, you f*cking b*tch! You don't know what I had to go through with Ikuto so just shut the hell up!"

"One." I breathed out as her grip tightened.

She flings me on the ground and tries to open the door. Ikuto must've been dressed and went to the door and I yelled and said, "Don't you dare open the door!"

"Amu?! Are you okay?!" he calls me.

"You open the door, you worthless piece of sh*t!" she curses and I wonder how big her curse vocabulary is. I bet she even failed the SAT because of her colorful language. I hope to God that he doesn't open that door.

"Two."

I look at Tsukasa-san, and he nods. Soft pattering comes around the corner, but they do not attack Utau yet. I didn't give them the signal yet, and she has no idea in the world that the security is rounded around the corner.

She is still banging on the door, yelling insults at Ikuto and Ikuto is trying his best not to break down crying. I am angered, but my whole body hurts from her throwing me around, my wounds hurt like hell right now. But I have help on my side. I am just waiting for a few more minutes hoping she will simmer down and leave kindly. But after a few moments when she was still at block one yelling curses and insults at Ikuto, I do my last resort.

"Three."

"SECURITY! Take her away from the premises!" I yell, and large men in black combat attire barge in and grab Utau around the forearms and legs and she had a hand capping her mouth, restraining her from screaming her head off like a maniac.

Tsukasa climbs up near the nearest security camera and brings out the tape. He smiled at Utau while waving the tape around and said, "This is evidence." Tsukasa really is dark and a blackmailer.

Her face drained of color and I knew what he attended to bring Utau down to the court along with my parents. Tsukasa tch'ed in disgust and turned his back on Utau.

"Take her out of the hospital right now, leave and never come back or else I will turn in this tape but for now this is mine for evidence that can be revealed to the public." he coughed, "She makes me sick."

Utau became deathly pale, and then she was screaming out like a maniac and he chuckled underneath his breath, "But then again, I might reveal it anyways."

But Utau didn't hear that as she was being dragged away. I writhed in pain, and then groaned out, "Ikuto you can come out if you want to. My body hurts like hell…"

"I'm gonna make her pay for hurting my daughter," Tsukasa glowered down the hall and punched the wall, anger seething through him.

"Calm down...dad…" I say for the first time and he perks up and becomes happy again but when he comes over to hug me.

The next thing I heard and felt was the door opening and warm arms surrounding me. The body shook in anger as I readily limped into the arms from putting too much strain on my body.

"Hey Ikuto, everything okay now you can let me go," I chuckled in his arms.

Something warm and wet drops into my pink hair, and it falls continuously. Tears.

I turn in his embrace and reach up on my hand and pat his head gently as I let him cry all he wanted.

"Ikuto, don't cry, everything's fine now and I am fine so please don't cry," I smiled and then decided to add for good measure, "Plus if you cry you look 80% uglier. And you get wrinkles." (Eri: A/N: Reminds you of Hotaru from Gakuen Alice doesn't it? Chi: Yes. And if someone doesn't know, then I will chop them on the head with a fist *my version of Maka-chop*)

Ikuto freezes at my words and kept crying despite my false joke. I sigh and try my best and finally after some reassuring words and some back strokes he finally calmed down and degraded down to soft hiccups and did I mention they sounded so cute?

"See that's what happens when a man cries don't you know that tough guys don't cry." I say and he hugs me tighter and I put my head in his neck. Ikuto raise my chin up so that I can look up at him. He takes one of his long nimble fingers and he wipes the blood that graced past my lips and flooded out through my nose.

I smile weakly at him, Tsukasa and Ikuto support me from both sides and lay me on his bed.

"Now Amu you need to get some rest, I will send a nurse to come treat you so for the time being just rest." Tsukasa says and kisses my cheek and tucked me in the bed.

Tsukasa left the room and the room became silent and full with tension.

"Um...Amu?" Ikuto calls out to me and I turn to him despite the pain that screaming at me to stop.

"Yes Ikuto, what is it?" I say slowly sitting up.

"Well I just wanted to apologize on the behalf of my sister because she harmed you. I am so sorry for getting you involved in this situation," He looks down to the floor and drops to the ground I just sigh. I get up from the warm bed and take painfully slow steps to him. I bend down to where he dropped to the ground and I hugged him around his neck and pulling his head closer to me.

"Don't worry, Ikuto, I have gone through worse," I told him, and say, "C'mere."

Ikuto nods and sits next to me on the fluffy bed, and asks, "What kind of things have you gone through?"

I think for a moment and ask him, "You really want to know?"

He nods.

I sigh, and think before saying, "Well it is endless. Let's see...I would get beatings if my sister tattled on me for something I didn't do. I would be kicked in the stomach for asking for more food. I never got new clothes, except new school uniforms…"

His eyes darkened.

"I would sleep in the attic, where the dust would make me sneeze all the time. I had to do all the house chores, so I worked like a slave more than a helpful daughter. Whenever my parents had guests over, they would just tell me to get out of their sight," I said, recalling their nasty faces screwing up in disgust at my tattered appearance.

Ikuto clenched his fists, and I grimaced.

"They did so many horrible things to me, and treated me like a dog. But what hurt the most…" my voice cracked, "What hurt the most is that when someone spotted me and asked my parents if I was related to them, like their child or something, they would scoff and say that I am a poor person that they graciously picked up off the street. They said something as hideous as me is not fit to be their daughter, or their precious Ami's older sister, just because of my pink hair," I said, and the words they said in the past stung like daggers.

"I will murder them," Ikuto growled. And that caught me off guard. He was always so soft, so breakable, fragile and hurt. I never saw him snap like Zeus wanting to strike someone with his lightning bolt. (Chi: Fine! I admit it! I am a Mythology lover! :P)

I grabbed his sleeve and said, "No."

He turned towards me, surprised.

"Why not? They hurt you beyond repair. Why don't you want to get back at them?" Ikuto asked, clearly surprised.

"Because if I do that, they will just think of a bigger revenge to hurt me even more than last time. And it never ends. Besides, Ikuto, Tsukasa is going to bring them to court and throw them in jail. If mom, dad, and Ami get life imprisonment for their abuse, then I won't have to face them anymore," I told him.

Ikuto opened his mouth to speak but then he considered what I said. When it reasoned with him, his face features softened, and he nodded, smiling softly.

He grabbed my head and put it gently in his lap, like the first time we met.

"Sleep," he gently commanded me, and a large, thin, warm hand gently stroked my hair back as I let myself drift into sweet sleep to his calming rhythm.

And as I slept, I thought to myself, how warm and kind the hand was that stroked me to sweet sleep.

xxx


	6. Scars Heal

[Amu's POV]

_I woke up in a field of daisies. I could sense a warm living body next to me and I guessed that it was my sister. I scooted away from the person, scared that the person might just wake up to find me here and start hitting me until I beg for my own safety._

_But as I started to move away, warm, thin hand wraps around my waist, stopping me from moving away. "Where are you going?" a sleepy voice asks._

_I relax. It is just Ikuto._

_"Oh, thank the heavens," I breathe._

_"Mmm, why?" he asks, his rich blue eyes focused on me as he hugs me like I am a giant teddy bear, and I smile._

_"I thought, waking up in such a pretty place, that I would be with my sister like all the other times," I said, "To be honest, I am a little scared of her."_

_"Well it won't happen anymore."_

_"Huh?" I asked him._

_"It won't happen anymore, because I will make sure she never haunts you ever again, and that is a promise for as long as I live." He looks at me in the eyes, being blunt, honest, and to-the-point like he always is with me and everyone around him. Except for me, he acts softer and kinder because he understands the kind of pain I am suffering is almost parallel to his._

_I smile and childishly offer my pinky, "Pinky promise?"_

_He chuckles and wraps his thin one with my tiny one and says in a slightly serious tone, "Pinky promise. Now go to sleep, sleeping beauty."_

_I pout and say, "Only if you won't leave me when I am sleeping then I might."_

_He chuckles and says, "I promise, Amu. Now go to sleep."_

_I say slowly drifting off at the warmth coming from him, "I trust you so don't leave me….."_

_I sigh in relief and wrap my own arms around his waist and snuggle in further, not knowing that I had physical pain to deal with, and dove down into a sweet slumber that could really last a hundred years like some versions of Sleeping Beauty._

oOo

Sunlight shone through my eyelids as the wonderful dream, or should I protest was a memory, slipped away.

I wake up my eyes and smile. For the first time, in a long time, I am happy from a nice eight hour sleep. When I try to move around, that is when all the pain kicks in.

And I thought I was just fine. How in the world did the pain even get here.

"Don't even think about moving," a warning voice comes from my right. Oh yeah, Utau hit me like hell.

"Sorry, Ikuto," I mumble and stay perfectly still. Then I realize that I am in his bed and start to struggle against the huge quilts on me. My body moves despite the pain I feel, I am so embarrassed…. It's just that the dream felt so real.

"Hey just stay still, will you?" he told me, but not in an annoyed tone.

I sheepishly nod and go back underneath my covers once more, feeling a bit ashamed with myself for trying to make it look like I was making a run for it.

"Sorry…" I say burying my face into the pillow to hide my embarrassed blush.

"It's okay I am just glad you aren't severely hurt because of my sister. *Sigh* Sometimes I wish I was strong enough to fight back but in the end I am weak….but you are the person who's strong." He says to me after some silence. I raise my hand up into a fist and lightly rest it on his chest.

"You're an idiot you know that?" My cracked words come out of my mouth.

"How?" He retorts.

"Because Ikuto you are strong, not everything about you has to be strong or perfect. I mean you say I am strong but really I am weak as well. Everybody has their weak or touchy subject or thing but just know that no one is perfect no matter how hard you try. I like you just the way you are and don't change anything about yourself. You are you and I am me, two different people that live in one world….." I say to him with a few stray tears coming out of my eyes. He lifts a finger to my face and wipes them off. His face sure is close though.

"Someday, there will be a day, where you will be happy," he brushed my hair out of my face, "And it will come soon."

I was utterly surprised and tears spilled even more and he became worried as he began to kiss them off, not wipe them, "Don't cry. I didn't make that to make you feel more pain."

"You're wrong, this feeling's something happy and I like it so much it made me cry," I say to him and he hugs all the pain I had go away.

But he doesn't know how happy I am in his arms, hearing him say that. I felt so happy that someone, like Tsukasa, wanted to get me out of the hell hole of a life I had been suffering until now. My mother, father, and sister, and classmates may hate me, but I know. I know that there will be two people in my life that will care about me very much.

I knew it was hard, having to put up with this hell hole every single day of our life. Ikuto knows how much it had been hard for him and I didn't want to mention it to him, in fear of his wounds reopening, the wounds of his suffering inside his heart.

oOo

I had been like this, for the next few days. Ikuto babied me to the point that I felt like ripping myself out of the bed and yell, "I can do it, you know!"

I heard from Tsukasa-san that Utau tried to barge in several times and he had to call security because he still hates her and he asks me what to do, because she hurt me the most out of all of this, physically.

But it is pointless because every time he calls me, Utau is already kicked out, so I do not know why calling me is all that important.

The phone beside me rang and Ikuto was beside, hugging me, and stroking my hair, like I was his wife.

I reached for the phone and Ikuto glared at it, like he wanted to snap it in half for ruining the moment and I had to admit. I was a bit cozy, and felt kind of lazy when the phone rang because getting the phone requires hand movement and hand movement requires energy and I have almost none at the moment.

"Hello?" I wearily said when the phone was brought up to my ear.

"Amu-chan!" he called.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Utau...she...uh…" he trailed off.

"Let me guess. She broke in the hospital did she?" I asked.

"Yeah…" he trailed off, again.

"Did she do anything major?" I asked.

"No, but this is kind of getting out of hand, isn't it?" he asked. If I could imagine him right now, I could at least imagine one big anime teardrop sign at the back of his head. He was probably chewed up while I was just resting like Sleeping Beauty, not being of any help to him.

"Sorry I can't help," I said, feeling very much guilty with myself.

"No, I do not want you sending yourself to an early grave, Amu-chan, and you have to give credit to Ikuto-kun," Tsukasa scolded me, and I kind of cringed, "But I just don't know what to do about Utau and to top it off I just do not know how emotionally fake your parents will be when I will take them to court when they come back."

I nodded and asked, "Why, did you tell them?"

"Uh…"

The blood drained out of my body.

"You promised, Tsukasa!"

"Yeah well they were phoning me all the time on how 'useless' you are and your sister, oh don't make me start on her. She sounded downright creepy and really mean," Tsukasa snapped right back, and I was surprised with the firmness of his voice.

But then Ami saying mean stuff about me really tore my heart.

"What did she say?" I whisper into the phone, sounding like a person whispering their last wish.

"She said, the only thing that will make her happy...is...Amu-chan are you sure you want to hear it?" he sounded nervous now.

"Yes."

"She said she wanted to choke you to death and stab you thousand times over."

That is it. Tears spilled out of my eyes and my breathing hitched and I started hiccuping and crying in a mix.

Ikuto looked so alarmed and somehow angered, that he snatched the phone from my hands and stormed off into the other part of the room and left me alone to cry, though I knew he would just come back later and hug me in a cat-like manner, nuzzling my neck with his head.

[Normal POV]

Footsteps slammed against the tile of the kitchen in the room and Ikuto slammed his hand back on the countertop, overly furious when Amu was crying

Ikuto went into the kitchen and placed the phone to his ear and angrily whispered, "Spill."

"Woah, woah, woah, what I said was what her sister made a threat about. She told me to tell her, I promise! I would rather die than say something cruel to Amu-chan! Cross my heart and hope to die!" Tsukasa wailed on the other side of the phone.

"Then what exactly made her cry?" Ikuto glared at the marble countertop.

"She told you about her family, right?" Tsukasa cautiously started.

"Yes," Ikuto nodded, recalling the times Amu reluctantly opened up to him.

"Well, this has to do with her sister, since her sister had the hardest impact of all on her," Tsukasa sounded a little bit anxious at this part.

"I can understand that," Ikuto nodded, remembering how much it hurt when Utau yelled at him with all of those horrible names.

"She and her parents want her to be a doctor than what she really wants to be, so they call me from time to time to make sure that she doesn't get out of work here. They called me one time today from their cruise and I told them I was going take them to court," Tsukasa said.

"Way to make a surprise," Ikuto said, sarcasm high in the air.

"Well...they kind of acted like masochists, saying they do not care about getting in jail or whatnot, but I can see that they really are afraid, but they won't try to back out of it because I already handed in their important information to the judge and the session is scheduled," he said, "but what Ami said was really mean and I knew if Amu found out, she would fall apart, the poor thing."

Ikuto softened up, and knew that.

"What did Ami say?" he asked, suddenly curious.

"She said she wanted to choke Amu-chan to death and stab her a thousand times over, calling her a complete disgrace as an elder sister," Tsukasa said, "All of this, while sounding like a person infected by insanity." (Insanity infection borrowed from Soul Eater!)

Ikuto's fists balled up and Tsukasa said, "I know you are angry, but know this, when they are in jail and I become her legal guardian, nothing will touch her. And then I will make sure your sister never touches you, okay? Ikuto just take care of her. She is so sad, she feels like she has nothing to hold onto."

Ikuto calmed down at this.

"But she can hold onto me."

"Then go back there and comfort her. I bet she feels terrible after Ami's horrible comment."

Ikuto smiled and nodded and said, "Thank you."

"Don't thank me. It is necessary for me to do this."

Ikuto felt his heart warm up, and said, "Okay. Talk to you later."

He hit the 'end' button and slowly crept in to the room where the pinkette was crying her eyeballs out in a pillow.

[Amu's POV]

I was almost done, drying out my tears when a click resounded the phone going back into the charger and two thin arms wrapping around me affectionately and a head of sapphire nuzzling into my neck.

I sniffled, "I-Ikuto?"

He said, "It will be all right. I will not let them hurt you."

It felt so natural and he pushed me against his chest for me to rest there, and I willingly complied, seeing as to how wiped out I was from Ami's mean comment, she really drained the hell out of me and she sapped whatever energy that Ikuto managed to build in me these last few days of constant five-star pampering.

"Are you hungry?" he gently asked, and to be honest, I didn't feel like eating.

When I shook my head, he became worried. Then I said, "No, but maybe in an hour."

I wrapped my arms around his waist and sighed in contentment at how much of a perfect match he seemed, like a missing jigsaw puzzle piece that I never knew would fit me all these years of my tortured life.

"Amu?"

"Hmm?" I sighed, content with the hands that now stroked my pink hair back.

"Do you hate Ami?" he asked.

"Do you hate Utau?" I countered.

"No," he said.

"I don't hate Ami either," I said, "Because at one point she was like an innocent lotus. Untainted."

"But how can you not find it in you to be angry at her when she says cruel things to you when the two of you come face-in-face with each other?" he asked, slightly surprised.

I shrugged.

"Because each time I see her, I want to say, 'I feel sorry for how naturally gullible you are for believing Mom and Dad'."

He stayed silent but refused to let me out of his arms.

"I just feel...sad, you know? I feel really saddened when she once loved me and now she envisions me as the worst possible monster on Earth. She was so naive and gullible and clumsy, and ditsy, and cute and adorable and so pure, and I feel that every time I hear her voice crack with hatred towards me…" my voice cracks, "I think about how I couldn't save her."

Tears spring out of my eyes and I break out into a new fit of sobs. I couldn't take it anymore. I couldn't live through another nightmare. I couldn't live with all the little things on planet Earth reminding me of Ami.

Ikuto, whose hands were wrapped around me, frantically smoothed down my hair and rubbed small circles in my back, in an attempt to calm me down.

"Shh...Amu...it's okay, everything will be okay…" he cooed in my ear.

And then it really felt real.

I would be okay.

[Three hours later]

I didn't eat, but Ikuto knew I wasn't hungry at the least.

I stayed, wrapped up in Ikuto's warm arms. It felt like a good escape, like a place I could stay forever. I just stayed quiet until I remembered. Ikuto never played the violin for me. It doesn't hurt to try and ask him, right?

I clenched his shirt in my hand and mumbled, "Ikuto?"

"Hmm?"

"Won't you play the violin for me? Please?"

He silently considered, drawing out the 'hmm' as if to mock interpret what I said was a legit statement and it was. He heard me play the flute, and it would only be fair to make him play the violin for me.

"I will, but you have to get better first."

I whined and I could feel him laugh underneath from me, making me whine even more.

"And do take it into account that whining doesn't speed up life," he chuckled, ruffling down my pink hair.

"Then can I have some tomato soup? I wanna get better already," I pouted by drawing out my cheeks like a child, like how I would do with the old man when I would be in his music shop.

Ikuto chuckled before saying, "Of course. Would you like grilled cheese sandwiches with that?"

I thought about it, and the fact of having perfectly toasted bread, melting mozzarella cheese and a thick and creamy tomato soup, made my mouth water.

"I would like two whole sandwiches," I said, suddenly feeling like a glutton, which I wasn't one, making the situation very much ironic.

Ikuto chuckled before gently prodding me off of him and saying, "Coming right up." He then disappeared into the kitchen, and I softly smiled, from the plush bed.

oOo

. 

.

.

TBC


End file.
